The 6th CPC submitted its report on 24th to the Govt. We send herewith the Press Statement issued by the Confederation of Central Govt. employeesand Workers and the Circular letter explaining the salient features of the recommendations. As has been pointed out therein the report is totally disappointing and unacceptable. The demand for need based minimum Wage at Rs 10000/= stands rejected. Struggle for a better deal is inevitable.

We also send herewith a copy of the Chapter dealing with the Department of Revenue. The parity in Pay scale we achieved through serious of struggles in the case of Inspectors with those in IB and CBI has been undone. While the Inspectors of Para military forces, CBI and IB have been placed in a higher grade of 7450-11500, the Inspector of IT is in the replacement scale of PB.2.i.e. in the bunched pay scales with a lesser grade pay along with the Senior Tax Assistance and the Office Superintendents. This has no justifiable ground to sustain.

We request you to apprise the members of the retrograde recommendations and prepare them for a sustained Struggle. The CWC of ITEF will meet on 28th April 2008 at New Delhi for which notice is enclosed. The confederation's National Executive will meet on 27th. We hope to conclude discussion and deliberations in the staff side National Council JCM by that time. Please send in your views, opinion, problems and suggestions either by e-mail or through post so as reach us by 5th April.2008

With greetings,

Yours fraternally

KKN.Kutty

Secretary General

Department of Revenue

Introduction

7.15.11 Department of Revenue functions under the overall administrative direction and control of the Secretary (Revenue). Itexercises control in respect of matters relating to all the direct andindirect taxes through two statutory Boards, namely, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Customs and Central Excise (CBEC). Each Board is headed by a Chairman who is also ex-officio Special Secretary to the Government of India. Matters relating to the levy and collection of all the Direct Taxes are looked after by CBDT, whereas those relating to levy and collection of customs and central excise duties and service tax fall within the purview of CBEC. The two Boards were constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. CBDT has six Members and CBEC has five Members. The Members are also ex-officio Additional Secretaries to the Government of India. CBDT & CBEC 7.15.12 Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise & Customs have demanded functional autonomy on the lines of Railway Board. This demand was made before the Fifth Central Pay Commission also. The last Pay Commission had observed that no parity of these two Boards could be established vis-à-vis the Railway

Board because the latter was purely a commercial organization whereas the task of levying taxes was the sovereign function of the State and as such had to be kept under the overall control of Department of Revenue. The observations made by the last Pay

Commission are justified. Hence, the demand for autonomy cannot be conceded.

Non-executive posts in CBDT and

CBEC

7.15.13 The posts of Inspector and equivalent exist in CBDT as well as CBEC. The Fifth CPC had recommended the scale of Rs.5500- 9000 for these posts. The pay scale of these posts was, however, upgraded to Rs.6500-10500. Demands have been received from other posts existing in the scale of Rs.5500-9000 in these two Boards

seeking similar dispensation. The Commission has recommended merger of the pay scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500 which will automatically meet this demand. Hence, nospecific recommendation on demands seeking such upgradationsis being made.

7.15.14 Fifth Central Pay Commission had recommended the pay scale of Rs.6500-10500 for the posts of Appraiser/Superintendent (Preventive)/equivalent in CBEC and the post of Income Tax Officer/equivalent in CBDT. The Government, in 2004, upgraded the pay scales of these posts to Rs.7500-12000. Various posts in ministerial cadres that earlier were in the pay scale of Rs.6500-10500 have demanded an identical dispensation in order to maintain their relativity. The Commission would like to clarify that posts inministerial cadres cannot claim any relativity with those in theexecutive cadre as the functions are different. Mere fact of twoposts being in the same pay scale cannot be a ground forestablishing relativity. However, the ministerial posts will get a separate dispensation because the Commission has recommended parity between headquarters organizations and the field offices in chapter 3.1 of the report. The recommendations made therein shallapply to the ministerial cadre in CBDT and CBEC as well withoutany relativity being established vis-à-vis the posts belonging tothe executive cadre.

Senior TaxAssistants

7.15.15 An anomaly has been reported in case of Senior Tax Assistants who are presently eligible for promotion as Inspector as well as Deputy Office Superintendent. It is stated that Senior Tax Assistants, if they are promoted as Deputy Office Superintendent, reach the scale of Rs.5500-9000. However, in case of promotion as

Inspector, they are placed in the scale of Rs.6500-10500 which is anomalous especially because they function under Deputy Office Superintendent before promotion as Inspector. The Commission has recommended merger of the pre-revised scales of Rs.5000-8000, Rs.5500-9000 and Rs.6500-10500 which will place the posts of Inspector and Deputy Office Superintendent in an identical pay scale. No specific recommendation is, therefore, necessary in thiscase.

Retrospective revision for executive posts

7.15.16 A demand has also been made for allowing the scale ofRs.6500-10500 in case of Inspector/equivalent and of Rs.7500-12000 in case ofAppraisers/Superintendents/Income Tax Officers/equivalent retrospectively from 1.1.1996. The Commission, as ageneral rule, is not considering demands seeking retrospective application of some or the other order unless a clear-cut and manifest anomaly that cannot be corrected other than through such retrospective revision is made out. Such is not the case here. Thedemand cannot, therefore, be considered.

Appraiser/analogous posts

7.15.17 Higher scale of Rs.8000-13500 has been sought for the posts of Appraiser /Superintendents/Income Tax Officer/equivalent in CBEC and CBDT. The higher scale has been demanded on the ground that these posts are comparable with Deputy

Superintendents of Police in CBI who are already in the scale of Rs.8000-13500. It is observed that the Fifth Central Pay Commission had specifically noted that no relativity could be established between executive posts in Income Tax and Customs vis-à-vis those existing in CBI. Although the recommendation was made with

reference to the post of Inspector, the same cannot but hold true for the next higher posts in the hierarchy of these organizations. Further, the pay scale of Rs.8000-13500 is the entry pay scale for Group A posts of Assistant Commissioner/equivalent. The post of Assistant Commissioner is a promotion post for Superintendents/Appraisers/ITOs, etc. Therefore, even otherwise,this scale cannot be granted.7.15.18 Historically, parity has existed between the posts ofConstable in CPOs and Notice Server. The Commission hasrecommended that all the Constables in CPOs shall be placed in thepay scale of Rs.3200-4900. The Notice Server may also be similarly upgraded and placed in the scale corresponding to the revised pay band PB-1 of Rs.4860-20200 along with grade pay of Rs.2000.

Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal

(CESTAT)

7.15.19 The Members of the Tribunal are presently in the pay scale of Rs.22400-26000. They have demanded the higher pay scale of Rs.24050-26000. The Commission has recommended merger of the pay scales of Rs.22400-26000 and Rs.24050-26000 in the revised pay band PB-4 of Rs.39200-67000 along with a grade pay of Rs.13000. This will automatically meet the demand.

Central Bureau of Narcotics

7.15.20 Posts of Inspectors and Sub Inspectors exist in Central Bureau of Narcotics. Central Bureau of Narcotics is responsible for controlling various aspects relating to cultivation of opium in the country. Post of Inspector (Narcotics) exists in this bureau in the pay scale of Rs.5000-8000. They have demanded parity with Inspectors of Central Excise. The same demand was considered by the Fifth Central Pay Commission, who, however, did not concede such parity on the ground that 2/3rd of the total posts of Inspector (Narcotics) were filled by promotion of Sub Inspectors who were only Matriculates and Upper Division Clerks/Stenographers. It is seen that 1/3rd of the posts of Inspector (Narcotics) are filled by direct recruitment of graduates through the Staff Selection Commission. Direct recruitment to the post of Inspectors in Central Excise is also made similarly. The duties and responsibilities attached to these posts whether in Central Excise or in the Bureau are similar. The difference is, therefore, limited to the fact that whereas 2/3rd of the total posts of Inspectors (Central Excise) are filled by direct recruitment of graduates through the Staff Selection Commission, only 1/3rd of the total posts of Inspector (Narcotics) are similarly filled. This difference by itself cannot justify different pay scales for these posts. The Commission has recommended parity between the Secretariat and field organizations even though method of recruitment at different levels in the Secretariat and the field organizations is different. Accordingly, the Commissionrecommends that post of Inspector (Narcotics) in the Central Bureau of Narcotics should be brought on par with the post ofInspector (Central Excise). This will, in any case, happen onaccount of restructuring of pay bands being recommended. The post of Inspector (Narcotics) in the Central Bureau of Narcoticsshall, accordingly, be placed in the scale of Rs.6500-10500corresponding to the revised pay band PB-2 of Rs.8700-34800 alongwith grade pay of Rs.4200. The method of recruitment to this post should also be made similar as that prescribed for the post of Inspector (Central Excise). Hence, the method of recruitment forthis post should be changed so that 1/3rd of the posts are filled bydirect recruit of graduates through the Staff SelectionCommission, 1/3rd by Limited Departmental CompetitiveExamination and the remaining on promotion.

7.15.21 A higher pay scale has also been sought for the post of Sub Inspector in the Narcotics Control Bureau. The post is presently in the pay scale of Rs.4000-6000 and constitutes feeder cadre for promotion as Inspector (Narcotics). It is observed that posts of Upper Division Clerks and Stenographers also are a feeder cadre for promotion as Inspector (Narcotics). Presently, all these posts are inan identical pay scale of Rs.4000-6000. Placing Sub Inspectors in a higher pay scale will disturb this relativity. Consequently, higherpay scale cannot be recommended for this post.

7.15.22 A demand has been made for providing appropriate insurance cover to the officials in this bureau as their duties involve an element of risk. The Commission recommends that theGovernment should extend appropriate insurance cover to variouscategories of employees involved in hazardous duties in theBureau. This is also in consonance with the recommendations madeby the Commission in Chapter 4.2 regarding providing appropriate insurance cover in place of the existing risk allowance to persons working on jobs of hazardous nature.

The Sixth Central Pay Commission which submitted its report to the Govt. yesterday has fixed the minimum wage at Rs. 5740/-only.The Central Govt. employees had demanded the fixation of Minimum wage as per the norms formulated by the 15th ILC which works out to Rs. 10,000 p.m. The computation has been rejected by the Commission on untenable and unsustainable grounds.Had the minimum wage been computed on the basis of the norms laid down by the 5th CPC. i.e. the percentage increase of the Net National Product over a period of ten years, which the Govt. had accepted in 1997, the minimum should have been determined at Rs. 7400/-.Thus the minimum wage determined by the 6th CPC is even less than what had been recommended by the 5th CPC and accepted by the then Government as fair and reasonable.The Pay Commission has gone on record to state that no comparison could be made to the wages obtaining in the Public Sector Undertaking.

The first four scales of pay suggested by the 5th CPC for the Group D Employees of the Government have been now removed.The existing employees in these grades are to be moved to Group C cadres through a process of training thereby indicating that the unskilled functions in the Governmental sector would be contractorised or outsourced. On this specious plea the Commission has flaunted that the Minimum wage in the Governmental sector would hereafter be Rs. 6660 and thus calculated the ratio between the minimum and maximum wages at 1:12.The real ratio between the minimum and maximum wages have been raised from 1:11.76(determined by the 5th CPC) to 1:15.68.While huge rise in emoluments have been provided to the senior officers of the Government, the Group B,C and D employees have been totally neglected.

The Commission has recommended to withdraw the benefit of merger of DA granted to the Govt. employees in 2004.The new fixation of pay in the revised scales of pay will be by disregarding this benefit.The proposed 40% fitment benefit will thus be reduced to 28%, when the actual fixation takes place.

The Grade pay concept has been introduced as a prologue to the introduction of a performance related pay system without specifying any objective yardstick to measure the performance.The rate of increase has been pegged down to the level of 2.5% much below even what is obtaining presently under the 5th CPC dispensation..Another suggestion is to replace the existing adhoc and productivity linked bonus with performance related incentive.The Commission has inter alia suggested for the reduction of holidays from 17 to 3 without compensatory increase in the number of restricted holidays.The present health care system under the CGHS is to be replaced by the Medi-insurance for the new entrants.The pension scheme presently in vogue for those who are recruited prior to 1.4. 2004 has not been extended to the new entrants while they are perforce to contribute 10% of their salary for the new contributory Pension scheme. No doubt the Commission has kept its promise of submitting its report within the prescribed time frame and recommended that its suggestion should be made effective from 1.1.2006.

To give impetus to the policy of privatization and contractorization, the Commission has recommended for Corporatisation of Indian Railways, which employs the largest number of Central Government employees and for total outsourcing of all the Group D functions across the board in all Central establishments.In the circumstances, the Central Government employees are constrained to reject the retrograde recommendations of the Commission and demand that the Govt. renegotiate wage revision issue afresh bilaterally.

The Confederation has called upon the Central Government employees throughout the country to organize demonstration on 26th March, 2008 to register its emphatic protest over the totally unacceptable recommendations of the 6th CPC.It also calls upon the sister organizations to unitedly fight to bring about a decent wage settlement for the Central Government Employees.

We send herewith a brief synopsis of the important features of the report of the 6th CPC submitted to the Government yesterday.The full text of the report is available at the web site of the Pay Commission, the address of which is given hereunder. Kindly access the same.

The Commission has fixed the minimum wage at Rs. 5740 against the demand we had placed for the grant of Rs.10000 as the need based minimum wage computed as per the formulations of the 15th ILC norms. The CPC has mutiliated the norms to bring down artificially the quantum.

The first four scales of Pay I;e S1,S2,S2A and S3 have been knocked off.The S 4 scale of 5th CPC i.e. 2750-4400 has been taken as the base scale of pay, the total emoluments of which at the beginning will be Rs. 4860+1800=6660.The Commission has stated that this would be the minimum wage for future as the existing group D employees who are matriculates will be allowed to be migrated to this scale of pay.Those who are not matriculates may be allowed to come over to the said scale of pay on a successful completion of training programme.This has been used as a clever device to flaunt the minimum wage at Rs. 6660 and thereby to show that the ratio of the minimum and maximum salary has been kept at 1:12.The fact is that the minimum wage is 5740 and the maximum being the salary of the Cabinet Secretary at Rs. 90000. This brings about the ratio of 1: 15.68, an all time high to boost the emoluments of the officers of Gr A services. There had been not a single valid argument or reason adduced the Pay Commission to reject the demand for the need based minimum wage.Even as per the norms adopted by the 5th CPC the minimum wage ought to have been fixed at Rs. 7408/=

A new concept of Grade Pay has been imported to give the impression that a 40% rise is given at the fixation stage in respect of each employee. If we take into account the revised fitment formula of the 6th CPC in which they had taken out the benefit of merge of 50% DA given in 2004, the netincrease will only be 28%.The chicanery could be further seen from the fact that a mere Rs. 360 has been added to the pre revised S8 scale of pay i.e. Rs. 4500-100-7000 to replace it with the new scale of pay of Rs. 4860-20200. The fallacy in the construction of the revised scale of pay is further evidenced from the fact that the replacement suggested by us for S 8 in our memorandum begins with Rs. 20000 with an annual increment rate of Rs. 1000. Besides even as per the 6th CPC conversion factor the initial pay of S 8 ought to have been Rs. 10125.By employing a clever device in the name of Grade Pay, the Pay Commission has virtually retained the pre revised scale of pay with a little cosmetic change.The fact of the matter is that the Government is empowered to alter or altogether dispense with the grade pay in the case of any single employee in the name of extension of the performance related pay scheme later to the Gr B,C and D cadres.

Without going much into the details of the impact, we should convey to you that the present dispensation is absolutely unacceptable and requires to be re-negotiated bilaterally with the Government.What should be our formulation in the light of the scheme of things brought about through various recommendation of the Pay Commission is a matter for discussion, deliberation and consensus with the Railways and Defence Federations.Efforts are on the anvil for bringing about a united approach both in the matter of formulating the demand and the manner and methodology of pursuing it to its logical end.

You may kindly go through the enclosed note as also the various other recommendation of the Commission in the meantime and convey us your considered views so as to help us to formulate the demands that we should place for discussion at the staff side meeting of the National Council JCM

As has been decided by us in our National Executive meeting held at Mumbai on 2nd and 3rd March, 2008 we call upon you to organize massive protest demonstration, rally etc.on 26th March, 2008 eliciting the full participation of all employees to educate and mobilize them against the retrograde and thus unacceptable recommendations of the 6th CPC.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

Sd/

K.K.N. Kutty

Secretary General

Synopsis of the important features of the 6th CPC recommendations:

1.Revision of pay takes effect from 1.1.2006

2.The fitment formula is as under:

Pay as on 1.1.2006 + 74% Pay (as DA)- rounded off to the nearest Rs;10+prescribed grade pay.( which is said to be 40% of the maximum of the pre-revised scale of pay) This means the benefit of merger of DA ( to the extent of 50% given in 2004) will not be available, thereby reducing the net benefit to 28%

3.The adhoc and PLB Bonus will be replaced by Performance related incentive scheme.

4.The women employees have been provided with staggering working hours, special leave for child care, maternity leave upto 180 days, increased working facilities like working women hostel etc.

5.In no future no non-matriculate will be recruited to the Govt. service.The unskilled jobs are to be outsourced or contractorised. Those recruited on compassionate ground without the requisite matriculation qualification will only be paid a fixed salary of Rs. 4440, which is below even the minimum wage of Rs. 5740.The period spent on this pay will be treated as training and will not be counted for any purpose.

6.The proposed rate of increment i.e. 2.5% may bring about a dip in the quantum of the pre revised increment in certain cases. The demand for increment at 5% of pay stands rejected. The increment in all cases will be with effect from Ist July.

7.There is an element of performance related increase in the increment rate by 1% .This is applied initially for Gr.A officers to be extended to other grades later.

8.The Govt.has been given the discretion to do away with the grade pay even in individual cases as part of introduction of performance related pay scheme.

9.The minmum wage is fixed at Rs. 5740 and not at 6660 as is being propagated.

10.Maximum salary is Rs. 90000 even more than the salary prescribed for the Vice President India, thereby bringing about the ratio between the minimum and maximum at1: 15.68 whereas it was 1:11.76 in the case of 5th CPC

11.No change in the periodicity of payment of DA nor in its methodology of computation. The index base year will be shifted to 2001 from 1982. The CPC recommended that no DA merger should be allowed hereafter.The CPC has recommended for the construction of a separate cost of living index for central government employees.

12.The CCA is subsumed in the transport allowance and the transport allowance is increased bytimes.

13.HRA. The following recommendations have been made: A1 cities will called X class Cities.- 30% pay + grade pay. A B1 & B2 will be Y class- 20% (increase by 5%) C and unclassified will be Z Class Cities with 10% HRA. (increase 2.5% and 5% respectively)

14.As and when the DA is increased to 50%,all allowance will be increased by 25%. i.e. only 50% neutralization in the case of allowances.

15.Education allowance has been raised to Rs. 1000.

16.Persons stagnating at the maximum of the pay band for more than one year to be placed in the next higher pay band without change in the grade pay.

17.New entrants: CGHS is replaced by medi-insurance.

18.The Number of closed holidays have been reduced to three and the restricted holidays have been increased to 8.

19.Pension: Full pension at 50% of last pay drawn or average emoluments of 10 months whichever is beneficial on completion of 20 years and above qualifying service. On attaining 80 years of age the pension would increase by 20% of Basic pension – at 85 – 30%, at 90-40% , at 95 – 50% and at 100- 100%. Commutation table revised. No change in the periodicity of pension restoration. No change in the EL encashment quantum. Full pension for 10 years as family pension in case of death in harness. Family pension will also get increased in the same ratio as per the age mentioned above. Ex gratia in the case of death while performing duties will be doubled. The ex gratia compensation raised to 10 lakhs in the case of employees who die in accidentand 15lakhs in the case of who lose life due to act of violence. Fitment benefit same as in the case of serving employees. Childless widow may continue to get family pension even after remarriage. Unmarried daughter will get family pension for life.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

The Secretariat of the ITEF CHQ met at Chennai on 13-02-2008.Com.V.S.R.Krishna Presided.Following decisions were taken at the meeting:

Agenda ItemNo.1:

Election Commission:

It was decided to reconstitute the Election Commission by inducting Com.M.Santhanam as Member.

Disciplinary Committee:Com.K.B.Verma, Com.Arun C.Trivedi and Com.Tarun Dutta will be the members of the Disciplinary Committee.Com.Tarun Dutta will be member-secretary.

Agenda Item No.2:

Utilization of Infrastructure Fund

The Secretariat taking into account the meager amount of hardly 6 crores allotted for providing infrastructure facilities to the non-gazetted employees , decided to reiterate the demands made in ITEF letter in N-1/8 dated 14-08-2007 and intimate the Board that the failure of acceptance of the same will result in agitational programme being launched by the ITEF besides organizing non-cooperation movement.The secretariat decided to fix 31st March 2008 as deadline for achieving this demand through bilateral talks.

Item No.3:

Review of dues of Aayakar and renewal fees:

The Secretariat noted the progress in the remittances of dues.The Finance Secretary was asked to constantly pursue with the units which are yet to honour the commitments made in this regard at the last CWC meeting.

Agenda Item No.4:

JCA demands and /settlement thereof:

The meeting identified the regions where the programmes were not effectively carried out and decided to take steps to ensure that the members in these regions are addressed by a team of office bearers of the CHQ.It was also decided to cause a fuller discussion in the matter at the next meeting of the CWC.Since the vindictive transfers in Tamilnadu charge had been vacated , the decision to call off the ongoing agitational programmes by the JCA was considered to be appropriate.

Agenda Item No. 5

Review ofConfederation Programmes:

It was noted that despite constant efforts many units were still in the habit of not sending written reports regarding the participation in the programmes.The Circles will be once again asked to provide the CHQ with written reports indicating the extent of participation of the members in the last strike on 30th October, 2007.

Agenda Item No.6:

Any other matter:

The Secretariat felt that the ITEF should take up with the Govt the necessity of reviving the practice of regional recruitment to lower categories like TA etc in view of the difficulties experienced by the present recruitees.

To move a resolution in the next CWC demanding that the SC/ST candidates may be provided with another opportunity to write the departmental examination to improve their marks.

To revitalize the efforts to bring about a united movement of daily-rated, contingent and casual workers.

With greetings,

Yours fraternally,

K.K.N.Kutty

Secretary General

INCOME TAX EMPLOYEES FEDERATION

Manishinath bhavan,

A-2/95, rajouri garden,

New delhi -110 027

Tele: 25105324/9811048303

N.1/2008Dated: 14th Aug., 2007

To

Shri A.K.Sinha,

Commissioner of Income tax (C0.0rd)

O/O the Chairman,

Central Board of Direct Taxes,

North Block,

New Delhi.

Dear Sir,

Sub: Utilisation of the infrastructure fund

suggestions – regarding-

We write this with reference to the discussion, we had on 6th August, 2007 on the above subject.In the light of the said discussion, we caused consultation with our Circles and make the following suggestions:

1.The fund, being meant for infrastructural development, should primarily be used for a common utility.

2.In our opinion, the first priority should be to bring about a healthy and clean ambience at the office, so that output and productivity could be increased.We, therefore suggest that the funds available must be used to centrally aircondition the office premises owned and occupied by the Department.Once this is done, the existing split ACs and Window ACs could be provided for use in the rented buildings.

3.Often the employees and officers are asked to go on tour to different offices.Our guest house accommodation at Metro cities and other important towns are few and far between and priority is always given to Senior officers.As we have brought to your notice, at some of the stations, the rooms are in continuous occupation of the officers, perhaps even in violation of the existing rules.A part of the fund must be earmarked for providing more such rooms, either by way of construction or by reaching agreements with some reputed hotels in the said towns.It must be made available on a first come first served basis.

4.We have no objection with the suggestion of providing laptops to all officers. As we have proposed at the meeting, the same should be extended to the Group C employees at the level of Office Supdt., Sr.TAs and TAs as they are primarily assigned with the large chunk of data entry work.Despite spending large amount of money[some times even surrendering the funds for want of proper utilization]the staff in many places are still to be supplied with desktop PCs .

5.In the case of Inspectors, as they are assigned with field work, they must be provided with Motor Bikes, as they are already granted petrol allowance.

6.In the case of Notice Servers who are called upon for service of statutory notices in the case of scrutiny assessments, whose number is likely to be increased from this financial year onwards, they must be provided with Mopeds to help them to reach out the assessees faster and cheaper.

7.In the case of Group D employees in order to have a better and personalized communication system, especially taking into account the lack of it in moffusil stations, we suggest that they may be provided with mobile phones of a good quality with a provision for a pre-paid card of Rs.500 per month.

8.In the case of Group C employees, who are not covered by the above or due to insufficiency of funds, they are not in a position to be provided with laptop, this year, they may be granted mobile phones with prepaid card worth Rs.1500/- every month.